The Birth of Sephiroth
by fenrirknight
Summary: To live, you must have a purpose, a will to live, a soul. I lost all these things back then, as well as the woman i loved...' This story goes into detail about Vincent, Lucrecia and Hojo in Nibelheim, about 30 years before the game. Enjoy and R&R plz!


I remember those days as if they occurred only a few days ago. The few days that changed my life forever, the days I'll never forget until the day I die. If you can call what I'm doing living. To live, you must have a purpose, a will to live, a soul. I lost all those things back then, as well as the woman I loved…

* * *

The sun shone brilliantly in the sapphire sky, a drop of golden bliss amidst an endless sea of blue. Back then, I appreciated Nature's beauty, like the grass' dance, or the wind's whisper. But now…

There were four of us in the car as it drove along the lush grass. Besides me, there were three scientists, three of the most brilliant minds in the world. Opposite me, two of them were looking over some papers, whispering to each other occasionally. Both wore glasses, white lab coats and both had black hair. However, they were very much different. The first man was greatly respected and infamous throughout the world. Professor Gast was his name, Shinra's Head of Science. His work was brilliant , or so the experts said. I hadn't much interest in science, but you could tell by his eyes that he was a genius, for they shone full of wisdom.

The second man's eyes, like Gast's, showed deep wisdom, but something was different about him. Something I couldn't put my finger on. I didn't trust him, and for a good reason, as I would soon find out. He was not as well-known as Gast, at least not yet. His name was Hojo, a mysterious character to say the least. They were both empty puppets, only caring about the facts and figures put in front of them. Nothing like her, the final scientist sitting next to me.

In my eyes, she was the most brilliant. Her mesmerising eyes timidly glimmered a kind of knowledge that showed she appreciated things in life, and yearned to get out there in the wide world and explore. As she spoke, her angelic voice rung out an admiration for all the things around her. Although she wore the same attire as Gast and Hojo, she was completely different. She was Lucrecia, the woman I loved.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked, placing her hand on my knee, her touch soothing to me, "You seem worried."

"It's nothing, I'm just thinking." I replied, looking back into her hazel eyes, their warmth comforting to me. She and I had been seeing each other for a couple of months at that time. Two of the best months of my life, full of anxiety, joy, and hope for the future. She was my purpose to live, the only person I had ever truly loved.

"Vincent, thanks for coming with us." she said, squeezing my knee gently. "But you really didn't have to." Their was something in her voice that made it sound like she didn't want me there. I almost wasn't as well. I had to beg my boss, Heideggar, to let me come. He had his doubts. There were more experienced Turks around at that time, and this wasn't an ordinary escort job, I could tell, but eventually I was allowed to go.

"It's no problem," I lied, giving her a gentle smile. She smiled back, and glanced over to the whispering duo opposite us . At the same time, Hojo looked up, and their eyes met. She rapidly averted her gaze, looking at the floor. He grinned to himself, looked at me, and then back at Gast. All it took was that little look into his eyes, and I knew something wasn't right. No-one spoke for the rest of the journey, except for a few vague murmurs from Hojo and Gast, until we reached our destination, and the driver said, as he opened the door,

"We've reached Nibelheim." Everyone got out in front of me, and then I followed. When I looked at the town in front of us, I saw numerous buildings, with cherry roofs, and magenta walls. They all looked so cosy, very homely, full of love. I had never had a real home, somewhere where everyone loves you, where everyone cares for you, where you feel like you have a purpose to being there, if only to make them happy. Seeing these houses made me appreciate the few good things I had. A secure job, a roof over my head, and a woman I am devoted to. I was so engrossed in the majestic beauty of the town that I hadn't realised that my party had gone on ahead of me.

"Hurry up, escort!" cried Hojo, as they stood, waiting for me impatiently. I walked towards them. When I reached Lucrecia, who was standing apart from them, I stopped, and looked at her. She looked miserable, and a little guilty.

"Are you alri…" I started, but was interrupted by Hojo,

"Come on! We don't have all day!" he exclaimed impetuously, "Are you going to do your job, or are you going to talk, escort!"

"He has a name, you know!" yelled Lucrecia, her anger erupting out onto Hojo.

Fine then, hurry up, Valentine!" Hojo ordered, referring to my surname.

"His name is Vincent!" Lucrecia said violently, her fists clenched, rage building up inside her. "And he's here to protect you , so just be quiet!" There was a clear tension between the two, but I was oblivious as to why.

"His job is to baby sit us, not become best friends with us." he retaliated, equally violent, "perhaps you should remember that!" Lucrecia was about to shout back, but I grabbed hold of her arm and shook my head.

"We better move on," I said, not wanting the argument to continue, "It's getting late, and the wolves will be out soon." I led Lucrecia to the others, and we entered the peaceful town without saying another word.

As we entered the centre of the town, I took a proper look around. Situated at the centre was a well, old and rickety, but it still stored water. There were lots of houses around, and in most of the windows, the curtains were drawn, and I could see a few prying eyes spying on us. We must have looked strange, three white clad scientists and a Turk interrupting the peaceful suburbia of the town. Little did they know of the horrors that would soon unfold. As we continued across the cobbled streets, I could feel their eyes burning into me, and I started feeling uncomfortable.

"Perhaps we should head for the Mansion," I suggested, looking into the distance. At the back of town stood a large manor called the Shinra Mansion. Members of the public were not allowed to enter the mansion, as it held some of Shinra's biggest and darkest secrets.

"What a good idea," Hojo replied sarcastically, 2I hadn't even thought of that." He and Professor Gast walked ahead towards the Shinra Mansion, and Lucrecia and I followed. As we got closer, the building loomed up above us, its jet black walls making it look sinister and cold. The only evidence of life was the ivy, which crept up the walls, snaking their way in between the extremities, like the hideous gargoyle heads that stared at us. The residents of Nibelheim avoided this area of town, and I now knew why.

When we were outside the door, I stepped forward and produced a key from my pocket. As I inserted it into the lock and turned it, it clicked loudly, the noise echoing from within. I slowly turned the handle and pushed open the door, which creaked noisily, sending shivers down my spine. Inside, the only light that was present came from the gaps in the thin, black curtains that were strewn over the windows. Dust flowed down from the ceiling as we advanced further into the mansion, each step we took booming off the walls. Suddenly, a bright light was emitted from behind me, and I spun round to see Hojo lighting the lanterns that hung on the walls.

"What you looking at?" Hojo questioned brusquely, after which I looked away. Lucrecia and Gast also advanced into the room, looking all around them at the magnificence of the interior. The ceilings rose high above us, so high in fact, that we couldn't see he top through the darkness. Lucrecia walked towards one of the walls and put her hand on it. She put her other hand on her forehead, as if she had a great pain in her head. As I looked on, I thought she just had a migraine, but shortly afterwards, she clutched her stomach and collapsed with a slight cry of pain. I rushed over to her immediately, and Gast's head turned in surprise. Hojo also noticed, and ran over too. He opened her eye and peered into it, then checked her pulse. I was surprised to see that he was worried. I was motionless in shock and in worry. He then rested his hand on her stomach, and at this I pushed it away, lifting Lucrecia gently onto my back.

"What are you doing?" asked Hojo, standing up to face me.

"She needs to lie down." I replied, my face burning with anger and despair. "Even I can see that."

Hojo just looked back at me, but then pointed to a doorway to his right. I entered the room that he had indicated and found two beds lying there. I placed Lucrecia onto one of them, and knelt beside her, holding her hand. What is wrong with her? Why has this happened? Will she be okay? All these questions swam through my mind, but no answers came. As I knelt beside her, I could see Hojo and Gast's shadows on the floor outside the room. They were once again whispering, but their words were mostly inaudible. I only managed to catch one sentence, but that was all it took to perplex me. It was Hojo who spoke,

"She'll ruin everything!"

* * *

That night has stuck in my mind for all this time. I can still remember how worried I was. I stayed with her all through the night, and into the morning, until she eventually awoke, but my troubles had only just begun...

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That's the end of chapter 1, Hope you liked it! Please review, and the next chapter will be up soon! 


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